THE HAGUE: The head of the international chemical weapons watchdog said Friday that Russia鈥檚 veto of UN Security Council resolutions to extend the mandate of an investigation team that lays blame for chemical attacks in Syria 鈥渃reates a gap which needs to be addressed by the international community.鈥�
The mandate of the Joint Investigative Mechanism, or JIM, set up by the UN and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) expired earlier this month after the Syrian government鈥檚 staunch ally Russia blocked efforts to extend its mandate.
Russia has been highly critical of the JIM鈥檚 findings that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015 and used the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others.
The JIM also accused Daesh of using mustard gas in 2015 and again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo.
OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu lamented the end of the JIM.
鈥淚t is unfortunate that the mandate of this mechanism is not extended and clearly that creates a gap which needs to be addressed by the international community,鈥� he told The Associated Press.
Members of the OPCW鈥檚 Executive Council were scheduled to meet later Friday to debate their response to the report.
A draft decision put forward by the US, Colombia, Estonia and 萝莉视频 is expected to be discussed.
It calls for the council to demand that the Syrian government immediately stop using chemical weapons and to express 鈥渋ts strong conviction that those responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be held accountable,鈥� according to a copy of the draft text seen by The Associated Press.
Executive Council decisions are generally adopted by consensus, but with the US and its allies at loggerheads with Russia and its supporters, it is likely to be put to a vote.
Russia and Iran also filed a draft decision for the council earlier this month calling for a 鈥渇ull scale, professional, and high quality investigation鈥� in Khan Sheikhoun, including a site visit.
鈥淭here are serious differences of view on the issues that are being discussed because it鈥檚 somehow the extension of the conflict which is still underway in Syria,鈥� Uzumcu said.
The OPCW has a fact-finding mission, which works to confirm allegations of chemical attacks in Syria, but does not apportion blame.
Uzumcu said that there are allegations of more than 80 different uses of chemicals as weapons over the last two years.
鈥淭he list is long,鈥� he said.
Uzumcu said that mission will continue, including a visit to Damascus soon to look into Syrian government claims of attacks by fighters.
OPCW rues Russian blockade of Syrian chemical attacks probe
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